Visible card index



19387 J. w. SHEPPARD VISIBLE CARD INDEX Filed May 11, 1937 INVENTOR Jfl/m W J]! RNEY Patented Dec. 20, 1938 5 ship, so that any card may be exposed by swing ing the superposed holders therefrom, and has for an object to provide a visible card index I device of the above type, having noveland improved details of construction and combinations of parts.

Another object is to provide a visible card index of the above. type which is adapted to be sold in strips or panels having various numbers of card holders thereon for attachment to a hinder or base by the user.

Another object is to provide card holders arranged in strips or panels which can be cut by the user to the length desired.

Another object is to provide a visible card index of cheap and simple construction and pleasing appearance.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed.

lieved to be characteristic of this invention will be more fully pointed out in the claims appended herewith, the invention itself will be better understood by referring to the following descrip tion, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which one embodiment thereof is set forth for purposes of illustration.

In the drawing:

Fig, 1 is a perspective view of a visible card index embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the card holders mounted on a flexible backing material; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, Fig. l discloses a binder i having a pair of covers ll joined to a back I! by flexible hinges i3, which may be of any standard construction. Attached to each of the covers is a strip or panel of card holders which are shown more in detail in Figs. 2 and 3.

These panels of card holders each comprise a plurality of card holders 20 of comparatively stiff material which are provided at their lower edges with sheaths 2| of rigid, transparent material such as Celluloid or the like. These sheaths 21 are attached to the card holders 20 by means of staples 22, which are disposed on opposite ends of the sheaths so as to leave the central portion thereof free to form a pocket for receiving the umran STATES John W. Sheppard, Larchmont, N. Y., aesignor of one-half to The C. E. Sheppard Co.,.L ong Island City, N. Y., a corporatlonof New Yorhand one-half to The Aetna Casualty a "Surety Co., v a Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application May 11, 1937, Serial No. 141,903

z Claims. (01. 1294-16? 1 Although the novel features which are be- PATENT emu edgeof afcard 25. "Each cardholder-520 also provided with slits 26, arranged jopposite the sheath 2i and adapted to receive and hold the oppositecomers of the card 25. fThe arrangement issuch that a card may be inserted beneath the sheath 2| on each' sideof "the card holder and secured by inserting the freel zorners of the cards in the slits 26. I

-Each card holder is also providedl wi t h a tab 21 which is separated from the holder by means of a score line 28, having a plurality of spaced perforations 29 therein. The score line 28 and the perforations 29 form a weakened part which acts as a hinge to permit the card holder to be swung in an arc of about 180 with respect to the tab 21. It 'will be noted that the perforations terminate a substantial distance from the two edges of the card, so as to prevent the card from tearing due to repeated folding on the hinge line.

The card holders 2!! are assembled on a flexible strip of gummed backing material 3% which may comprise a flexible paper having an adhesive 3| on one side thereof. The adhesive is preferably of the water-set type so that the backing material 30 may be attached to a support by moistening and pressing the same firmly thereon.

In order to attach the card holders, the backing material 30 is positioned with the gummed side down and a suitable adhesive is applied to the top surface thereof. If desired; the top side of the backing material may also be gummed, in which case it is moistened to render the same adhesive. The card holders are then bent about the score lines 28 and the tabs are applied to the surface of the strip 30. to which they are secured by the adhesive. The bottom holder is preferably applied first. Thereafter, the successive holders are applied, the folded hinge line of each successive tab being disposed against the top edge of the'preceding holder. In this way the holders are automatically spaced in overlapping relationship as they are applied'to the backing material. If desired, the tabs 21 may be gummed or adhesive may be applied to these tabs instead of to the backing material. The assembly is accomplished in the same way in either case.

The holders normally lie flat, as indicated in I Figs. 2 and 3, so that the sheaths 2| and thegportion of the card 25 which is disposed thereunder, is visible in each of the holders. The panel of holders may be sold in this form and is adapted to be applied to any suitable binder or base by the user, it being only necessary to moisten the v on the folder to serve as a guide for positioning gummed side of the backing material so for this purpose. It is to be noted that the panels can be made of any desired length or may be cut into any suitable length by the user, depending on the particular requirements of each case.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the panels are mounted on-the covers ll of the binder ll. Each cover is provided with a cover flap II which .is hinged to a tab it and secured to the inside of each cover ll near the top thereof, in a position such that the cover flap 3! overlies the top card holder in the completed index. The tab a pro- 'vides a means for properly positioning the panel the card holders thereon. a

It is to be understood that the card holders may be positioned on one of the covers II and other devices, such as a pad or the like, can be secured to the other cover. By mounting the holders on a separate gummed strip it is possible to make up the binders in any desired combination to suit the individual user.

Although a particular embodiment has been shown for purposes of illustration, it will be obv'ious that the invention is capable of various uses and that various changes and modifications may be made therein as will appear to a person skilled in the art. .The invention is only to be limited in accordance with the rfollowing clalms when inte'rpreted in view of the prior art.

What is claimed is:'

1. A visible card index comprising a strip of flexible backing material having a gummed surface adapted to be attached to a'binder or the like and a set of card holders carried by said backing material, each card holder having a tab framed by a score line adapted to provide a weakened hinge portion about which the holder may be folded, said tab being adhesively secured to said backing material.

2. A visible card index comprising a strip of' JOHN W. SHEPPARD. 

